But in the 19th and early 20th centuries, office workers, like clerks, accountants and managers, mostly stood. Sitting was slacking. And if you stand at work today, you join a distinguished lineage — Leonardo da Vinci, Ben Franklin, Winston Churchill, Vladimir Nabokov and, according to a recent profile in The New York Times, Philip Roth.

I can’t think of anything more uncomfortable than sitting all day. At work, I got clearance to have a stand-up setup in my office, but that’s only because I had a hip surgery and therefore a medical reason. But one of our buildings on campus has a beautiful common area at the front of the building with numerous stand-up tables, tables with special “core balancing” chairs, as well as treadmill work stations. I have yet to master the ability to do sprint intervals while doing email.

2 Responses to The Primal Office

Pam Maltzman says:

December 5th, 2012 at 4:40 pm

Unfortunately, since I do medical transcription, and sit in front of a computer and use a digital transcriber unit all day/night, standing isn’t an option for me. Besides, I’m very tall (6’1″), and working in my own office allows me to arrange things for my comfort. When I worked in other people’s offices, my poor knees kept finding every sharp edge in the place. My back, neck, and wrists need adjusting. We’ll see if I can get in to see the chiropractor after my next paycheck.

Pam Maltzman says:

December 5th, 2012 at 4:41 pm

There are some better office chairs out there, for those of us who must sit. I have a Steelcase Leap Chair, good for people up to 300 pounds. Yes, it does have many possible adjustments, and yes, I still have to put padding on it for comfort.